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Another Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Crossover is Coming

Another comic book crossover between Batmanand Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesis on the way. DC Entertainment, IDW Publishing and Nickelodeon have opted to team up these characters for a second time, following the success of 2015’s crossover series Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The six-issue sequel series will begin this December, when two issues will be released.

Gotham’s Dark Knight and New York’s pizza-loving reptile/human hybrid heroes are no strangers to wacky crossovers. It was announced recently that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be teaming up with the original Ghostbustersteam for the second time. Also, not long ago, Batman joined forces with Bugs Bunny’s nemesis Elmer Fudd, in an unlikely crossover between the DC universe and Looney Tunes.

This new crossover comic has been given the title Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, and it will reunite the creative team of its predecessor: James Tynion IV will be back on writing duties, with Freddie Williams II tackling the art once again. DC’s SVP Editorial Strategy & Administration, Hank Kanalz, said in a statement that he “can't wait to see what James and Freddie deliver this time around.” The official announcement from DC also came with this teasing synopsis:

“When Donatello goes looking for a new mentor to help him improve his fighting skills, he opens a doorway to another reality, hoping to summon the Turtles’ one-time ally, Batman. But instead, he gets sent to Gotham City and someone else comes through the open portal —Bane! Suddenly, there’s a new gang boss in New York and he’s out to unite all the other bad guys under him. Can Donnie get back in time and bring Batman with him to help his brothers before Bane causes irreparable destruction?”

This sounds like it could be a lot of fun. A dimension-hopping mishap is always a good source of comedy and drama, and it’ll be interesting to see Donatello reacting to life in Gotham while Bane amasses powers in the Turtles' New York. It may not sound like the most original story of all time, but it’s bound to offer some enjoyment for fans of both of these iconic franchises. Also, TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman will illustrate variant covers for the series, adding even more fan-pleasing credibility.

However, you could argue that there’s not much stock in a zany team-up event like this when the core collision of characters has already been done. It’s only been a couple of years since the last Batman/TMNT crossover, after all, so can this sequel really do any better? Pre-empting that kind of thought, IDW’s President and COO Greg Goldstein has made it clear that he isn't worried about repetition causing a dip in quality. As he said in a statement, “we’re confident that we can deliver the goods to meet[fan] expectations with our talented creative team returning for round two.”